Blossom
by solangelo
Summary: If people were seasons, he'd be summer.


**BLOSSOM**

_If people were seasons, he'd be summer._

* * *

><p>This will be the last time he'll listen to Bianca – ever.<p>

If he weren't allergic to one particular flower, then the place would actually be perfect. The lighting is low. The sun rarely comes up on his side of the wall. The windows are slightly small. The walls are painted a dark shade of blue, and the design is very minimalistic. His father wouldn't mind paying the monthly rent of this place, and from the looks of how his business is going, he probably wouldn't even give it a second thought.

That, and Bianca is hard to resist, especially when she's being persuasive. She picked this place a month ago when Nico decided to move to New York. He's starting college in six weeks, and he wants to be closer to the campus to check it out. He's not exactly following Bianca. His sister is studying in another university. But it's nice to know that she's not that far away. Even after a year of frequently seeing her, he's still not used to her absence.

However, her judgment ended up being his downfall.

Turns out, a flower shop just reopened in the building. What's worse is that it's located on the first floor, and Nico's room is on the second. So, the moment the black haired teen opens his window, he gets a fresh wave of flowery goodness coming from the streets – and he ends up sneezing every few seconds.

He's not allergic to all of the flowers. In fact, he actually loves one of them. He finds it rather beautiful, but he can never figure out the name. Unfortunately, he still hasn't found the one flower that's making him sick. If his allergies don't go away soon, Bianca will have to relocate him to another place where there isn't a flower shop. Nico has never been completely comfortable in a home, but the place is utterly neat. He can't bear to part ways just like that – especially not when the room comes with the new HDTV, complete with a brand new Sony game system.

Where else can he play with that?

Nico hears a loud from the windows. He peers out. There is a delivery truck parked below. Workers are carrying boxes of flowers and plants. Nico narrows his eyes. Every time a delivery truck is there, his allergies only get worse. To prove his point, his nose starts to get itchy, but before he can cover it with his hand, he forms a loud sneeze. He hangs his head in defeat.

"Time to buy flowers again," he mutters to himself, slamming the windows close.

As stupid as it is, his solution to his problem is buying a bouquet every damn day, just to find out what the hell is making him sneeze. He's already bought lilies, gardenias, daffodils, and three other flowers he can't memorize the names of. But he still has no clue as to what specific flower is affecting his health. He glances at the oriental lily on the dining table, tucked neatly inside a vase.

"It looks beautiful, at least." He stares at it for a minute more. "Nah."

He bangs the door as he exits.

* * *

><p>"Gloomy face is here again," Katie announces when the door opens.<p>

Will hears her from the cashier and immediately looks up from counting the change. True to her words, he sees the same young man with black hair, a startling onyx shade of eyes, and an Italian tan. The man is roaming around the area, glaring at every flower he comes across. It almost looks like the flowers are cowering under his gaze, and from the look on his face, he could have just burned the flowers right then and there.

"Why do you think he buys flowers, anyway?" Will asks, smiling.

The guy has been coming here everyday for the past week. He's been buying all kinds of different bouquets. If Will hadn't known any better, he would have thought the man was collecting them. And he did thought of that, until the teen blatantly shoved the flower in the trashcan right outside the store. Apparently, his hatred for flowers is horribly substantial.

"Beats me." Katie shrugs, as she carries a vase of violet tulips on the counter. She elbows Will on the side. "Why don't you go talk to him and find out?"

"Nah," Will replies, putting the money back in the box. "He doesn't really scream, 'I'm friendly, talk to me.' And just look at him! He looks like he wants to burn the place."

The man roughly grabs a few flowers from the box and scowls when his face gets too close. Will shakes his head. "I don't even know why he's here."

"Ah, but you like it, don't you?" Katie teases. "Will has a crush!"

Despite his attempt to tamper down the blush forming on his cheeks, he only goes redder. "I do not have a crush on that guy. I bet he'll burn all the flowers here if he can."

"Yeah, well." Katie pats Will on the back, glancing at the man walking over. "He's coming here, so I guess you have no choice."

"Oh, yeah. Great. Thanks."

Will ducks his head, pretending not to notice the presence of the young man in front of him. The teen clears his throat, grabbing Will's attention. Will glances up with a bright smile, taking in the other's appearance. His hair is messy, and the bags under his eyes don't really help. He looks like he hasn't slept in days. But what really jumps out at Will is the man's pink nose. Either he's planning to become Rudolph early in the summer, or he just has a stubborn cold.

"Good morning! What will it be?"

The man frowns, sliding a bouquet of red tulips on the counter. Will blinks. He hasn't worked in the shop for very long. His father just decided to reopen it for the summer to help Will earn some money. If he manages the shop, then he'll get a rather decent salary. Since he has nothing else to do in the summer, he agreed to the proposal. But he had absolutely no knowledge about flowers or how they work. He ended up killing them before they could even bloom. He might be a good enough doctor assistant, but he can't heal nature.

Fortunately, Katie volunteered to help. They'd been selling flowers for almost a week now, and the business is pretty good.

"Are you going to let me pay, or are you just going to stare at me?" The man shifts uncomfortably, glancing down.

Will shakes his head, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. "Sorry," he mutters. He grabs the tulip, checks the tag, and accepts the teen's payment. Before he offers him the change, Katie pokes him on the small of his back as she passes. She eyes him, inclining her head in the Italian's direction. Will bites his lip, pretending to busy himself.

"So," he says, swallowing the nervousness in his throat, "red tulips. Are you courting someone?"

The man lifts an eyebrow. "What?" he asks, his cheeks starting to turn pink. "No! Like Hades, I'd court someone."

Will raises both eyebrows in surprise. "Oh," he says, trying not to sound too happy. "So, why are you buying flowers?"

He accepts the change and grabs the flowers. He looks down, his expression unreadable. "No reason."

Then, he leaves, the door clanging behind him.

Katie suddenly appears behind his back. She places her arm on his shoulder and rests her chin. "Very smooth, Will Solace. I'm pretty sure he likes you now."

Will follows the man until he turns the corner and disappears. He closes the cash register and looks at Katie with a dry smile. "Whatever." He gently shoves her hand away and walks to the storage room, his heart beating louder and louder.

* * *

><p>The cashier is not cute, he tries to convince himself once he places the tulip in another flower vase. He puts a good amount of water inside and decorates it on the coffee table. Then, he slumps on the couch, trying to ignore the strange hammering sound his heart is making. He drapes an arm over his eyes when he leans his head on the headboard.<p>

"The cashier is not cute," he says again. But he knows fully well that no matter how many times he tries to deny the fact that the cashier is very much aesthetically pleasing, his effort is futile. He's not even going to ignore it, anymore. Will Solace – Nico found that wonderful prize on the blond's nametag – has a smile that can burn forests. He's wondering how those flowers can even survive him for that long. His eyes are warm and gentle. And his hair is the color of the sunrise.

Which he actually hates. He hates the heat; it makes his skin sticky.

"I hate it," he says softly, groaning. "I hate it so much."

He does, but that doesn't explain why he's there the next day. This time, his eyes don't go immediately to the awful flowers making his head spin. He looks directly at Will Solace, and Will Solace looks directly at him.

He definitely hates it.

* * *

><p>"Are you trying to build a flower shop or something?"<p>

Bianca decided to visit him a week later. She's sitting on the couch, inspecting his flat. When she came inside, she gave everything a second look. Her confusion only started growing when she noticed that the entire place had a flower vase in every corner of the room – from the living room to the bathroom. And he's not kidding. It takes all his self-control not to bathe in flower petals.

"No," Nico says firmly, sitting on the other chair. He folds his legs on the seat. "You know that there's this flower shop on the first floor, right?"

"Yeah," Bianca replies hesitantly. "What about it?"

Nico huffs. "Well, there's this flower that's been making me sick lately, and I'm trying to figure out what it is."

She draws her eyebrows together as she surveys the room again. Realization dawns on her face. "You're buying every bouquet known to man just to find out what it is?"

Nico nods.

She covers her mouth with her hand, muffling a laugh. "Are you serious, Nico? That's going to take you a whole month! The flower shop will probably be close by then. Why not just ask the owner on what kind of flowers will make you allergic?"

He shrugs. "I don't know anyone there." Except for the cute cashier.

It's been one week since then, and he still doesn't know anything about Will Solace, except that he likes smiling at every person who comes in. The blond is always at the cash register, and he makes small talk every time Nico is buying something. But Nico can never say worth talking about, so Will is usually the one who conducts the conversation. Unfortunately, Nico leaves immediately after he buys a bouquet.

"Well, that explains why you look like Santa Claus' reindeer. Seriously, Nico, just go ask someone."

"I only know Will."

The statement exists his mouth before he can stop himself. He blinks at Bianca, hoping she didn't hear.

"Will," she repeats. "And who is this Will?"

Nico shrugs again, trying to act indifferent. He swallows the lump in his throat. "No one. Just this guy who works at the cash register."

"He doesn't sound like no one."

"Well, he is."

"Oh my gods, Nico." She gasps slightly, reaching out to touch his knee. Nico looks away, raising his collar to prevent Bianca from seeing his neck redden. "Is he cute?"

He tilts his head. "I guess . . ."

Bianca draws her hand away. Nico visibly relaxes, releasing a sigh of relief. Hopefully, Bianca will let it go. The gods know just how persistent she is when she has her eye on something, and Nico really doesn't want her to know who Will is.

"Well, I want to meet this cute guy of yours," she announces. She's already off the couch, and heading to the front door.

Nico's eyes widen in fear. "Bianca, wait – no!"

But she's already out of the door. Nico slumps back on the couch, hiding his face behind his hands. "Oh, gods. I'm screwed."

* * *

><p>"Cute guy alert," Katie says, grinning madly.<p>

Will immediately stops counting and looks at the door. The Italian guy is there again. His hair is still messy, but his onyx eyes are bright. He looks at Will for a second before he glances back. Behind him, a girl is following his trail. Her long black hair is tied into a bun. She's cute, and she's a lot shorter than the cute Italian guy. She smiles up at him, and he grins back, gently pushing her away.

Will's smile suddenly disappears. He places the money back in the cash register and pretends not to notice Katie's solemn expression. It's not like the guy isn't bad looking (he's not, Will thinks, he's too cute), so finding a girlfriend won't really be a problem. But they're just starting to talk, and Will's enjoying every second of it. He fiddles with the flower stem.

It's not like it matters.

"Good morning!"

Will's head snaps up at the greeting. Suddenly, the girl is right in front of him, beaming right in his face. "Good morning." He strains a smile. "How may I help you?"

She turns around. "Nico!" she calls out. "Come over here."

Nico. The Italian man grudgingly heads over to them. Will's throat begins to clog. Nico. So, his name is Nico. Looking at him now, at the messy bed hair and the Italian tan, Nico actually fits – a lot.

"What?" Nico mutters.

She tilts her head in Will's direction. "Go ask him. Come on."

Will smiles slightly, a little confused. Ask him what?

"Right." Nico clears his throat. He looks at Will, but his eyes are avoiding direct contact. "Do you – do you know what kind of flowers form allergies?"

"Allergies," Will repeats. His smile widens as he scratches his cheek. "You might have to specify a bit more."

"I've been having a cold lately," Nico says softly. "And I think your flowers are the cause."

"Oh." Will doesn't know what else to say because Nico's been buying at his flower shop for over a week now. So, if he's allergic to flowers, then why the heck would be still be buying bouquets? And now that Will thinks about it, Nico is one of his most regular costumers. No one comes here everyday to buy flowers. It just doesn't make sense. Unless, he's planning to make his house a forest. In which case, Will completely understands.

However, Nico doesn't seem like the type who wants to build a garden.

"It's probably the pollen," Will says. "Male flowers have pollen, while female flowers don't. Maybe those are causing your allergies?"

Beside him, Katie nods. "Or maybe, you're just allergic to one specific flower?"

In response, Nico sneezes, nearly doubling over. Will leans closer in concern. He puts a hand on Nico's shoulder. "Are you okay? Do you need some medicine?"

"No, I-I'm okay," Nico stammers, regaining his composure. He glances at Will's hand and looks away, clearing his throat.

Will retrieves his hand with a frown. He looks at it like he's not sure what he's doing.

The girl rests her arm over Nico's shoulders. "You don't look so good. Come on, let's get you back." She veers Nico toward the door. She looks back at Will with a smile. "Thank you for your help, Will."

"Yeah, sure. Anytime."

Once they're out of the shop, Katie leans in. "Is that his girlfriend?"

"I hope not."

* * *

><p>Ever since Bianca visited him, his cold has only gotten worse. In fact, he hasn't gone over to the flower shop in three days. He doesn't have the energy to lift himself off of bed. Bianca has been delivering him food because his body is refusing to cook. His nose is redder, his skin is much paler than usual, and his flowers are beginning to wilt. On top of that, he hasn't seen Will Solace's face in forty-two hours.<p>

"It's such a sad life," he mutters, drinking another glass of water.

Bianca insisted that he take some medicine, but he stubbornly refused her requests. He doesn't need medicine to make himself better, he just needs some rest. Unfortunately, his body isn't allowing him to rest, either. He's been huddling under the blankets for far too long. His body is shivering. And the cold keeping him awake at night. If the amount of times he's sneezed can amount to money, he'll be a rich man.

He's about to wrap himself into a burrito when the doorbell rings. He snaps his head up, blinking. "I thought Bianca already has a key," he says, groaning. He shoves the blankets away, his bones aching. He walks barefoot to the door, his blanket draped securely on his shoulders. He opens the door and nearly wheezes in surprise.

Will is smiling at him, a bouquet of flowers in his hands. "Special delivery," he announces cheerily, pushing the flowers over. "It's from your girlfriend."

Nico's face distort into one of confusion. "My wha – " He sneezes before he can finish his sentence. A sharp pain enters his head as he curls himself. He manages to straighten his back. He clutches the doorframe for support. "I don't have a girlfriend."

"Oh," Will responds. He looks at the card. "It says here that it's from Bianca."

"That's my sister," Nico points out. "I don't do incest."

To his surprise, Will laughs. Is it just him, or does Will actually look relieved? "Right. Well, let me deliver this inside. You look like you're about to fall over."

Nico hesitantly widens the door. Will saunters him. He stops for a moment, his eyes shifting from one flower vase to another. "Nice apartment. Rather dark, though."

"Well, I'm letting the sunshine in," Nico replies drily.

Will glances back at him in shock, but he doesn't say anything. He places the bouquet on the table. "Quite a collection," he muses. "But why are you buying flowers if you're allergic to them?"

"I'm not allergic to all of them."

"How are you sure?"

"Beca – " Nico sneezes when he walks over. He glares the flower on the table. "What's that?"

"A sunflower. Why?"

Nico grabs it and leans in to take a smell. But before he does, another sneeze emits. He pushes it against Will's chest. "I think that is what's making me sick."

"A sunflower?" Will laughs. "Too bad." He brings the sunflowers under his nose. "They're my favorite."

Nico blinks at him, feeling his face heat up. He looks away. "W-whatever."

Will laughs again. "I'm going to bring this back to the shop and bring you flowers that won't make you sick, okay? In the meantime . . ."

He reaches in his pocket for a piece of crumpled paper. He detaches his pen from the pocket on his shirt and scribbles something. When he's finished, he takes Nico's hand and places it there. Will's skin is slightly rough, but it's warm, and it's making Nico's toes curl.

"There. Some prescription medicine." He smiles. "It looks like you'll need it."

Will nods as he closes the door behind him. Nico's disappointed that he's already going back, but he did promise to return – soon. He unfolds the paper and finds the word Aspirin scrawled across the space. He turns it over and sees some digits scribbled on the paper, with a note just under it:Call me if you need me. – Will

Nico bites his bottom lip, trying not to smile. But when the doorbell rings again, and he finds Will Solace at the door, carrying a bouquet of red tulips, he simply can't resist. Looks like he'll be loving those damn sunflowers soon.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Hello, this is Angel. I'm the second owner of this account. I hope you enjoyed my story. Please tell me your opinions ~ thank you very much. :)


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